The Story of Clove
by fictionismyreality13
Summary: Ever wonder what was going on in the mind of the seemingly ruthless Clove from Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games?
1. Chapter 1

Two weeks. Two weeks is all I have to prove that she is better than me; that I am not fit to go into the arena… yet. I want to go into the games, but not this year. I want to go next year when I'm ready, next year when I am not a skinny little sixteen-year-old girl. Two weeks until the reaping, the district 2 government is still trying to decide which girl to put in the arena. The boy has already been decided; Cato Gothard. He is a blonde, brute force of muscle, a vicious killer, a very attractive boy… if I thought about that kind of thing… which I don't. The decision is between me, Clove Carlisle and an 18 year-old-girl named Precious. Don't be confused by her name though, this girl is dangerous, vicious, and a great fighter… but I am better. That's what worries me. She is 18, Cato is 18 but I am 16, I don't belong in the arena this year, not until I'm ready.

The gravel crunches underneath my new leather boots, my father bought them for me as a bribe to go in the arena this year. Districts 1 and 2 are the only districts in Panem that can afford real leather, the other districts are too poor. My district has lots of money, but no one has as much money as they do in the Capitol. They are rich, smothered in extravagance. It's harder here in the districts though, we have money, but never enough. I'm glad I am not in 10, 11, or 12, they hardly ever win the games, ever, just slaughtered boys and girls year after year.

I press my right index finger on the scanner outside the Preparation Building. The glass is cold and a shiver runs though my spine from my finger on the scanner.

"Access granted" a robotic voice tells me and I hear the lock click open loudly. I open the door and am greeted by the familiar smell of the Preparation Room. Today is more testing, testing. That's all I have been doing since I was 12, since I could actually be in the games.

I wave a subtle hello to the woman behind a bland, gray desk. She presses a button and the sliding door opens and I slip silently through it.

Moans, grunts, and the sound of metal colliding fill my ears and I sigh, this is where I belong.

"Clove," a rough but steady voice jolts me back into reality, Lance, the head trainer has arrived, "You're right on time, come along." He turns and walks through a door I have never noticed before, and I follow him.

The room is dark and small, lit only enough for me to make out Lance's figure and a narrow, empty doorway.

"This is your final test," Lance tells me.

"Final?" I question, "The reaping is two weeks away."

"We will decide now however," Lance replies roughly.

The urgency in his voice sets me on edge, what task will he have for me today? Lance leads me to the dark doorway.

"You will have four tasks," he says, I notice that he is staring at me as I break my eyes away from the darkness that precedes me, "You will have to complete them all and do a better job than Precious to get into the games, however, if you fail, you will never go into the games. Do you understand?" he looks at me with harsh eyes and I nod stiffly. "Oh, and you'll want this," he hands me a belt with every different type of knife you could imagine.

He knows me, he knows what I can do with my knives, I take the belt from him and feel in my rough hands and smirk slyly. _Maybe I can be in the games this year, apparently Lance thinks that I can. _Four tasks to beat. I can do this.

I walk through the doorway and I see a puppy, at least what appears to be a puppy. It isn't though, it's one of the Captiol's mutilations or 'Mutts'. The creature snarls at me, showing razor-sharp teeth. Suddenly the creature lunges himself at me, my first instinct is to run, but that doesn't happen in the games and there is nowhere to run. The dog is 15 feet away from me now and I feel the knife slipping out of my hands because they are sweating so much. Ten feet, it is getting too close I am running out of time. Five feet, four, then the dog jumps into the air and I chuck the knife straight into the Mutt's chest and with a slight whimper the dog keels over and the farthest wall from me slides completely open. I have completed the first task. One down, three to go.

The second room was bigger than the first, which makes me anxious. Suddenly, a swarm of huge black birds envelope me and start pecking violently at my tender skin. Suddenly I have razor-sharp knives in both of my hands. I start ferociously slashing my knives through the air feeling pressure when I hit each bird and hearing a desperate thud as each hits the ground. I lose track of time and suddenly there are no more birds in the air, they are all lying bloody, lifeless at my feet. Suddenly I feel a ping of guilt but quickly dismiss it when the next wall opens before me. Two down, two to go.

The next room contains a brown, furry lump in the corner that appears to be asleep, but it isn't. I pull the sharpest nice out of my belt; bears have thick skin. The bear slowly stumbles to his feet and I throw the knife, without hesitation straight into the bears left eye. It growls and I curse under my breath, now I've just pissed the thing off, well at least it can't really see me. Suddenly the bear lurches towards me and I jump as high as I can onto its back. I pull out another knife identical to the first I used and thrust the knife into the bears jugular vein. The bear roars loudly and I quickly roll onto the ground opposite of where the bear was falling. Breathing slowly, a bloody mess, the bear lies limp on the ground, unmoving from the spot that he fell. The wall opens for me. only one more.

I step warily into the room and I see a redheaded girl standing in front of me with a sword. I realize that this girl is an Avox, the Capitol is now making me kill and Avox, the guilty. I would do it no problem, but the girl has a weapon. I throw my first knife and she dodges it. She starts running towards me, the sword held high above her head, she is quick, but I am faster. I pull out another knife and chuck it at her, hitting her right in the heart and she keels over. I feel guilt again as I stare at her lifeless body, but I can't stop now.

The wall opens and Lance appears on the other side of the barrier clapping slowly.

"Fantastic," Lance tells me, "But you are small Clove," He looks down at my body, as if checking me out but I know better, no one ever checks me out, "Precious is not, she is big and burly. You would do better in the games, but she will create more fear, plus there is no way the girl tribute will beat Cato this year, he is unstoppable. I want you to work on your build for the games next year Clove. But very, _very _nice job," He finishes, extending his hand, I take it in mine and shake it firmly.

I take the long way home. I remove my boots and roll my khaki pants to my knees. I walk through the creek along the stone fence surrounding my district.

"Clove?" a voice behind me shakes me back into reality. I jolt around, possibly more abruptly than necessary, but I do it very quickly anyways. I see Cato Gothard standing on the banks staring at me in awe.

"Oh... Cato, right?" I ask him, even though I know his name.

"Yeah," he says nodding, "So are you going to the games this year?" he asks nonchalantly.

"No," I start, "Lance is saving me for next year, he says I will never beat you," I chuckle awkwardly and he does the same.

"Well I should probably go," I start after a few minutes of awkward silence, "My brother will have dinner ready soon."

"Oh yeah, well sorry about the games," He starts, "But I am happy that I wont have to kill you." He says and winks at me. I giggle and shake my head. Cato gets up and starts walk away, back towards the Preparation Building.

"Good luck!" I yell after him.

He turns around to face me and salutes jokingly, I laugh at his silliness and realize how girly I must have seemed. The weight of the world is now off of my shoulders, I have nothing to worry about until next years reaping. I sigh in relief and slowly make my way, barefoot, back to my house.


	2. Chapter 2

I smell the toast from the kitchen down the hall. My older brother, Cole, comes into my room and wakes me up. He is beaming. Today is reaping day. My brother knows that since he has turned 19 he is no longer eligible to compete in The Hunger Games. Which also means that he never had the chance to.

I don't know where dad is, though I'm glad that he isn't here. He has been trying to push me to volunteer for the competition since I was twelve and could be in it. I am only sixteen now and he really thinks I have a chance. I've been training in knife throwing since I could even think about being in The Hunger Games.

My father is not happy about how reluctant I am. He says he wants the Carlisle name to go down in the books as the greatest Hunger Games champions, but I really think he just wants a house in the Victor's Village. I just slipped on my reaping dress from last year as I hear the door slam hard against the wall in the entry room.

"Where is my little tri-uh-tribute?" My dad screams into my room.

I quickly glance at my watch: 8:30. And my dad is as drunk as ever.

"Clove *hiccup* get down here and eat your *hiccup* toast." He orders.

I quickly climb down the steps by twos and landed in the kitchen as I witness my dad opening his flask and emptying the last of his rum into his morning coffee. Cole offers me a cup as well -without the alcohol- but I deny. I just want to eat what I need to and get back upstairs until the horn sounds telling everyone to gather in the square.

"So, little Clover, are you planning on volunteering before or after Randy calls the female name?" And there it is. I feel my heart sink down to my toes, further, possibly through the floorboards and down to the core of the earth.

"Well, daddy, I was thinking that I would, uhm, wait until next year or longer until I can, er, be sure that I can win." I still haven't told him I wasn't the selected girl, I couldn't, I was scared. I just managed to curl the corners of my mouth up in a semblance of a smile when his dry palm smacks me hard on the cheek and I feel one of my molars come lose from the back of my mouth. I get up and run towards my room, spitting out my irreplaceable tooth on the way up the stairs.

I'm trapped. I have no choice but to go to the Capitol and compete in the games. It is worse than my name being called at the reaping. Its more than just and obligation to the Capitol, it's an obligation to my father. And I know that if I go I better win. It's already been decided, and the reaping isn't for another hour. I am going to the Capitol; I am going in the arena and I. Am. Going. To. Win.

**2. The Name on the Paper **

Cole and I walk into the square. We both agree that we are too old to hold hands, but since we may never see each other again, we do anyway. I don't scare easily. I'm not scared to volunteer at the reaping, I am not scared to go in the arena, I'm not even scared to die in the arena, I am only scared about what will happen if I don't make it out.

Cole kisses me on my forehead and goes off to find my father before he does something that we will all regret. I wait in line behind two 17-year-old girls who are flipping their hair and watching Cole as he stalks away. I swallow hard to refrain from throwing up in my mouth.

I see the way all the girls look at him, but he's my big brother. Mine. No one else's. I'm next in the line and I hold out my left hand so that she can prick my index finger. I don't flinch when I see a small drop of my blood pools up on my finger and I press it to the box marked "Carlisle, Clover". I know the drill.

I go and stand in the crowd of children, in between my two best friends. Ok, they are the closest thing I have to friends. People tend to not like me. They don't want to be in The Hunger Games so they told me that I could hang out with them and sit with them at lunch if I volunteered in their place either of their names are to be called. Of course, being the shortsighted teenage girl that I am, I agreed.

It's no secret that I'm not very popular at school. I get bullied a lot. Whether it's the fact that my father is the town drunk, my brother setting the high expectations, or all of the time I spend in my backyard throwing knifes. It could be any of those or none. I don't know, and honestly, I don't care.

Their specialties are nicknames. "Crazy Clove", "Coo Coo Clove" and many other poorly thought through names. Little do these people know that I could throw I knife into their back if they were riding their bike at 15 miles an hour from 500 feet away. But we'll just keep that a secret. Really, the only place I feel like I belong is in the training academy.

I am deep in thought when Randy McIntyre taps on the mic and welcomes us to the 74th annual Hunger Games. He then proceeds to play the capitol video that I know like the back of my hand. I have heard it all before, so I just contemplate how I am going to volunteer.

"Now it is time to select our district 2 tributes. Like always, ladies first." He reaches his hand into the large crystal orb on the front of the stage. As he picks out the single strip of paper with the female tributes name, I muster up all of my courage to volunteer when he reads the name aloud for everyone else to hear.

"Clover Carlisle." He pronounces clearly for the audience.

Everyone clears out of the way and no one volunteers like I expected them to. I slowly make my way to the stage. I don't walk slowly because of fear; I want all of the cameras to get a good shot of my devilish smirk made for the games.

I walk up onto stage and shake Randy's hand. In his other hand, he holds the slip of paper that read my name, well, that _should _have read my name. It didn't. I don't recognize the name, don't even see it long enough to read, just long enough to know that the name was not my own.

I look out to the crowd and see my father with a smirk even more devil like than mine. I see my father's gold pocket watch ready to slip out of Randy's jacket pocket. I know it's his, I can see the engraved initials shining in the sun. He was bribed. Then I look over to Precious, not volunteering, then I see my mom's favorite pearl necklace on her neck and I know the truth. My father.

My father bribed Randy McIntyre and Precious to get me into the games. My father broke the Capitol's rules for my death sentence. I clench my fists so hard that I can feel the blood rushing out of my knuckles. I look down and see that they are white as a ghost. My own father.

Taken aback by the monstrosity that is my father I don't even notice Cato Gothard volunteering himself before Randy even says the selectee's name. I've only spoken to Cato twice before, at the Preparation Building and by the creek, he complimented me on my throwing. My "friends" all talk about how dreamy he is, and I am tempted to agree. I am not in _love _with him like everyone else, but I can see it, and I hate myself for that.

Cato makes his way to the stage and we shake hands, as I look from our united hands to his face, he slyly winks at me and I can't help but blush and turn away, disgusted by my own girlish tendencies when he is around.

We then make our way to the Hall Of Justice for our family and friends to visit us, and possibly say goodbye. I was furious when Cole left. He told me that my father was coming. I said that I didn't want to see him but he said that I didn't have a choice.

My father walks into the room and leans on the wall arms and ankles crossed. He triumphantly murmurs "congratulations" and that's when I lost it. I knew I would be in huge trouble with the peacekeepers if I hurt my father so I stalked up to him and found a small dot on the wall and punched it as hard as I could.

I punched it so hard that the drywall caved in and left a gaping hole and my knuckles were stabbed with small pieces of the beige wall. I turn around and stalked over to the window. I could bear to look at him.

"I'm done with you now." I said, still without turning around.

"Clove… I" he stammered.

"Father, please leave." I said more sternly.

"Clover. Honey. I love you. Good lu-" He started but I quickly interrupted.

"No you don't. If you loved me we wouldn't be in here. If you loved me I would be safe at home with Cole, I would be anywhere else but here. But where am I? I am on my way to get slaughtered by other children because of you. It's your fault that I am in my situation and excuse me to say so but I don't think you love me and I know for _sure _that I don't love you. I _hate_ you! You know what, I'm glad that I am in the games because if I don't make out I will _never _have to see you again." I'm screaming now.

I know I'm causing a scene, but I don't care because the words are coming out faster than I am thinking them. I must have gotten my father fired up too because the next thing I know his palm meets my cheek again, just like it did this morning. But this time it doesn't stop there. He starts to kick me on the ground and I see under the couch a long, silver letter opener underneath. I grab it and tuck into my sock.

After thoroughly beating me up on the ground, he lifts me up and bangs me into the wall holding me by nothing but my shoulders and shakes me. _Hard. _"You better damn well win, Clover." He spits at me

That's when it happened, when I got mad. Madder than I have ever been in my entire life. I wrap my leg around and kick the back of his knees so they buckle and he falls to the ground I pull his hands together behind his back and stand behind him with the letter opener at his throat.

"You just made the guarantee that I will, father." I said in a voice so cold that it sent shivers down my own spine. My father is breathing heavily, as heavy as if he just ran the perimeter of the district. And next thing I know, my hand pulls the letter opener from his throat and stabs it into his back. I don't let go until his breaths cease and I no longer feel his pulse.

I hear a knock on the door and a peacekeeper telling me that it is time to go. I find myself with the sly grin back on my face as I remove my hand from the letter opener, still lodged into my father's back. I look down at my hands covered in my father's blood, which I wipe on the seat of my dress and stalk through the door and slam it behind me, closing my father's rein of terror over me.

I couldn't have felt more proud, more ecstatic, it was an adrenaline rush the likes I've never experienced before. And I like it.


	3. Chapter 3

I don't even remember getting onto the train or getting to my room, I think that I was too drunk with power, but next thing I know I am waking up by my leg hair being furiously yanked out by long strips of what look like fly paper. I cringe. Even though it doesn't hurt very much, it's unlike any other pain I've ever felt. I assume that one of the stylists already did my arms because when I go to rub them they are completely hairless and sensitive. And cold. Why was I so cold? And then I realized: I'm naked. Great.

"You can go ahead and put these on." The tall one with tangerine skin tells me as she points to a stack of clothes in the corner. I go over and put on the black yoga pants and white T-shirt, surprised that they fit me perfectly.

I am playing with some pointy medical instruments I probably shouldn't be touching when the door creaks open and a tall, pale girl with white and pink hair wobbled in on heels that are higher than my knees. She wears a knee-length white gown and a knitted shawl over.

"Hello, Clove, I'm Angel. It's very nice to meet you. Oh, and congratulations." She talks in a voice so soothing, so sincere that I cant help but smile even though she is the one dressing me for my death. But right now, that is irrelevant.

"So being from District 2 you probably know all about the sponsors and their importance?" It was only slightly a question. She looks up at me and I notice the way the light shines off of her glitter eyeliner I nod my head, urging her to continue, "So there is no need for me to go over that with you. So I suppose we should go over your outfit for the parade?" she looks up again at me and I nod again. _Why am I so excited about this? I am a cold-blooded killer and I'm bursting with joy about what outfit I will be debuted in, _"So, the boy from your district," she looks down at her clipboard, "Cato and yourself will be dressed in gold gladiator outfits with plain, gold makeup. How does that sound?" she looks up at me again.

"That sounds great." I force a smile, ashamed of my pleasure in what I am going to be wearing. But, nonetheless I like Angel; she is the only person, other than Cole, that I actually think that I like. So I couldn't help but be a little sad when she neatly stacked all of her papers up on the clipboard and made for the door.

Before she opened the door she turned to me and said; "It was _very _nice to meet you, Clove." And I could tell she meant it. I couldn't help but smile dumbly at the door after it closed behind her.

**4. Golden Gladiator **

Angel led me through the glass doors into a room that looked like a large stable in the clouds, each district having its own chariot and a pair of shining, black stallions. I admire myself in the mirror. Though the outfit is very restricting, it looks astonishing on both Cato and myself. Speaking of Cato, I see him appear beside me in the mirror. I look over at him and realize that he is staring over at the District 12 girl, Kathy or something.

Cato looks over at me and sees that I saw him staring. He looks around, but realizing that all of the tributes are busy at work admiring and primping themselves, he leans over and whispers in my ear.

"That Katniss is going to be a problem. But, do you see the way Peter, or whatever his name is, is looking at her? He is in love with her, and we are going to use that to our benefit. He probably knows her better than anyone else. So that's our way in, you make him feel welcome and make him feel like the only way he is going to get out of there is to help us kill her, ok?" I nod, "I already have Glimmer and Marvel in on it too. We'll see who else is worthy too later." He finishes and steps back triumphantly smiling at me.

"Wait, Glimmer and who?" I ask. Confused about what he is talking about.

"Over there," he points to the District 1 tributes in pink fluffy garments and I have to stifle my laugh, "The District 1 tributes." And with his last word, the career pack was distinguished and it was time to load into our chariots.

I see Angel approaching me as we hear the Gamemakers counting down in our earpieces, "just hold on to the chariot with your left hand and leave the other at your side. Feel free to acknowledge the audience, but don't wave. Same for you, Cato." I look over to my right to see Cato nodding at Angel's instructions. When I turned to Angel for further instruction, I notice she is gone and the horses are pulling the District 1 chariot to be embraced by the adoring fans.

Overwhelmed by the screams and shrieks from the crowd, I look over to Cato to see what I should be doing. I notice that he is looking at the crowd with blank, mysterious eyes. It seams to be working for him –shown by his armful of roses- so I followed his lead. And I too have an armful of flowers as all of the tribute's chariots are aligned into a semi-circle around the podium where President Snow, the president of Panem, stands before us welcoming us to the Capitol and honoring our courage and our sacrifice.

As Snow continues to drone on, Cato leans over and whispers into my ear again. "11" is all that he said. And he was right. I look over to the 11 chariot and see a tiny little girl who looks no older than 10 bite her nails while the monster of a boy tribute next to her rubs her shoulders in a fatherly, comforting way that makes my stomach drop because it is a fatherly gesture that I never got from my own father. Noticing that I was still staring I quickly turn and look to Cato who raises an eyebrow in question. I respond with my signature smirk as we both turn back to Snow just as his speech was ending.

The horses pull us back to the room we began in where Angel and Cato's stylist, Arnold start to remove the more restricting parts of our costumes leaving us in black shorts and tank tops. I am startled by the way you could see Cato's abs and biceps through his shirt. All I can say is that I'm glad he's on my side. I am only sixteen and a smidge underfed, to the point that I am very tiny. He could snap me like a twig if need be. I sigh in relief as we follow Angel into the elevator and go up to the second floor.

I cannot believe my eyes when I step into the apartment. It is lush, white and silver. Angel instructs Cato and I to wash up before supper and shows us up to our rooms.

The room looks like a cloud. That's the only way to describe it. The room had a huge wall that was completely mirrors. I go over to look at myself, my eye makeup making me look much older than my years and much prettier than I am naturally. I have to hand it to Angel; I look stunning. I notice that there is something dark on my left eye I rub it off with the back of my hand and notice a bruised eye beginning to form. I sigh, knowing exactly its cause, and lean my arms on the wall and I am about to bow my head down when the wall shifts. Unsure about why it was moving, I go to slide it and I am greeted by a vast closet of white clothes that would make me match perfectly with this apartment and, most likely, Cato.

I pick out simple, fuzzy pajama pants and a white tank top, pull my hair back into a ponytail, slide newly pressed white socks over my bare feet, and begin to head out the door and into the dining room. As soon as I leave the room Cato comes out of his room with white and grey plaid pajama pants and a white T-shirt. I giggle at our coordinated outfits and he smiles and gestures me to lead the way.

I have never seen so much food in one place at one time. There is a huge table with many more seats than there are people to sit there. I start at the head of the table taking in all of the aromas. Salad with chestnuts, pasta with olive sauce and lobster, ratatouille, lamb stew, 16 different types of bread, saltine crackers and spinach dip, roast duck, chicken stuffed with cranberries, rice sautéed with olive oil and lemon, and a giant pot of cheese fondue in the middle of the table. I just now realize that I am just standing there staring at all the food while Cato has already piled his plate sky-high.

District 2 is certainly one of the more fortunate districts of Panem. We have plenty of food to keep our bellies full and to prevent grumbling. I have never seen this much food all for me. I live in a house with two men and all spare food we happen to get goes to them.

I sit down between Angel and our mentor –who has been oddly distant throughout this whole experience-

and across from Cato. I load my plate up with a little bit of each of the dishes intent on tasting them all, but I couldn't decide which I liked best, so I just continued to eat it all.

After we finished our dessert of chocolate covered strawberries and hot cocoa Cato and I headed towards our rooms to rest up for our training tomorrow. As soon as my head hits the cotton candy pillow and my body is enveloped in the fluff of the blankets I closed my eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

I wake up to a white clock next to my head beeping like it's going crazy. I read the numbers on its face: 7:30. I moan and pull the covers over my face, desperate for just a second more of my peaceful slumber.

I am lying very still in my bed, focusing on my breathing when I hear a soft knock on the door and someone whisper "Clove" through the cracks. I answer with a small murmur and the door swings open revealing Cato with a large tray of blueberry pancakes and two glasses of orange juice.

"You hungry?" he asks while I sit up in my bed and rub my eyes. I notice that he's looking at me in a way I've never been looked at before, but I decide to dismiss it rather than letting it cloud my head with worries. "Today is training day," he starts before he occupies his mouth with another forkful of pancakes. Once he swallows he continues, "And most mentors tell their tributes not to show off, but Enobaria says that we are good enough so we should try our best to intimidate the others. You ok with that?" The way he looks up under his furrowed brow at me shows me that he isn't only saying the words, he sincerely wants to know if that is ok with me. I nod my head in reply and get back to my food.

After that we eat in silence. Not the uncomfortable silence where you can feel the tension in the room, but the kind of silence that doesn't have the desire to be filled, because it doesn't need to be. We have no reason to speak in mindless small talk while we could just as comfortably sit in silence without even the slightest hint of awkwardness.

So I sit on the bed, the tray over my lap, and eat my pancakes in peace. I steal the occasional glance up at Cato, usually finding his eyes already on me, which makes me giggle and quickly look back at my food.

Eventually I find myself entering the training room with Cato by my side. I see all of the other tributes in matching outfits: tight black pants and a black shirt with grey and red and their district's number on it. Everyone is wearing that except us. I also notice that the tributes from 12 and 6 have yet to arrive. As Cato and I walk over to a young, fair-skinned woman with pink hands and hair the color of the sky. We check in as Cato Gothard and Clover Carlisle. She hands us our outfits and directs us to the changing rooms.

We come out at practically the exact same time and go over to join all of the other tributes congregating in the middle of the training center.

I notice Cato looking at me funny, "What?" I ask confused why he seems so odd right now.

His only response is when he says "Clover?"

I sigh and roll my eyes dreading the moment that someone questions me about my real name. "My real name is Clover. But that name is far too girly, too weak. It will never do in the districts of Panem. In fact I hate the name. It was my dad's dogs name when he was growing up," I look up at Cato, his brown furrowed in confusion, "Yes, I was named after my father's dog. Ever since my mom died I was raised by two men. Well, a young man and a drunk man who might as well be a baby, but, nonetheless, men. When I lost my mom, the girly side of me died with her, and so did the 'r' in my name. I never go by Clover anymore. Ever. Well, my dad calls me Clover and for legal purposes and all that, but ever since my mom passed, the girly girl inside of me, including the girly version of my name, died with her. That's how it's always been and that's how I want it to stay. Clove. My name is Clove."

I realized that I was looking down at my hands the whole time I was talking. I look up into Cato's eyes and I see someone who understands. It's odd to find someone so sincere in a boy that looks so shallow and cruel.

Cato turns to face the same way I am and looks over to me and says; "What station would you like to start at first, Clove, Just plain Clove." I smile and start to make my decision when the woman from the from table tells us to form a circle around us while she goes over exactly why we are here and what we should be doing here.

"In two weeks, 23 of you will be dead," she starts, "one of you will be alive. Who that is depends on how well you listen in here, particularly to what I'm about to say. Do not overlook the survival stations, everyone wants to grab a sword, but, most of you will die from natural causes: 10% from infection, 30% from dehydration, and 15% from starvation. Exposure can kill as easily as a knife." And with that she turns to the gamemaker's table and takes her seat on the left side of Seneca Crane, the Head Gamemaker.

After that all of the other tributes head to their various statements. I chuckle and shake my head as Cato points out that each tribute was going to the station that his or her district specializes in; 4 to knot tying, 7 to the fire starting station, 11 to the edible berries station, and 12 to the camouflage station.

I knew that I was part of the career pack with Cato, Glimmer, and Marvel, but I was shocked when I turned around to find the little boy from 3 standing among us, no one telling him to leave.

Sensing my confusion, Glimmer pulls to the side and tells me "District 3 specializes in electronics and…" she pauses and looks around. Looking back at me, she continues, "and explosives. The careers always get the bulk of the supplies so we are going to have him rebury the mines around the supplies so if anyone tries to get it they will explode." She looks up at me, beaming.

I look back at her, my smirk on my face, and ponder. That is a great idea. No one in the game has ever done that before. There's just one question that I have; "whose idea was that?" I finally ask her.

"Cato," she says looking over at him, eyelashes batting, "Isn't it brilliant?" she asks me, and I reply with a nod.

Cato, Marvel, and the boy from 3 tell us that we should get going. I can't help but smirk some more when I see that all of the weapon's stations are empty. _Piece of cake_. I think and stride over to where I see a huge array of knives that take up almost the entire wall.

I look behind me and see Cato holding a sword, marvel throwing some heavy, metal object, and Glimmer attempting to use a bow and arrow. I look over at the 12 girl and see her eyeing the bow enviously, it makes me laugh.

I walk over to the wall of knives. I haven't seen so many in the same place. Yes, we have a big knife collection back at the training center back in 2, but we have nowhere near this many. I run my hands over one of the throwing knives and feel that it is the smoothest metal I have ever felt. I examine how sharp it is and poke the tip with my index finger. It slightly punctures my skin and a small bubble of blood appears. I stick my finger in my mouth and put the knife back, taking a step backwards to look at all of the knives.

_Wow. _Is all that I could think. I graze over the array with my eyes, hungry to know what I have to work with here and what I will have to work with in the games. I can't believe all of the types of knives, some that I have used before, and others that I haven't. I am itching to try them all out. So many throwing knifes. So many stabbing knifes**. **I see daggers of all different sizes and with each knife I weigh the different kills I can do with each to create maximum pain and suffering. Each knife I see I plan how I will kill someone with it, strategically planning which ones I will throw, which I will keep. And I like it. I like the way my brain feels when I kill someone in my mind.

I don't notice how long I am standing there until a young woman, most likely in her late 20's, comes over and asks me if I would like to begin. I smirk over towards two of the 12 tributes, who are both looking at me. I turn back to the woman –still smirking- and just nod my head once.

"Pick out 10 knives for throwing." She instructs me as she hands me a medium sized silver tray to put my weapons on.

I put 8 regular knifes for throwing on the tray to see which has the best balance and place 2 longer daggers to try out. I've never thrown a dagger before but I've also never had to go in the games so this is a whole new experience for me.

I walk over to the knife station and find the woman standing there with a small panel in her hand.

"Now," she starts, "you will stand on this red line," she points to a painted red line on the ground, "and I will use this," she points to the panel, "to make one of those," she points to human body outlines with targets on the head and chest that I hadn't noticed before, "light up." She demonstrates by pressing the far left side of the panel making the far left body light up, "You will throw your knifes at either target on the lit up body. You ready?" she asks me.

I smirk again and pick up the first of my knives. "GO." She says and the centermost silhouette lights up red. I throw the knife at the head target and it lands in the dead center of the innermost ring, right where the forehead would be. This continues on for 9 more times. I make 7 in the chest where the heart is and 1 more in the head. The first dagger I threw, ever, landed in the neck of the body. Even though this was not the intended target, it would still kill, so I was content.

Training went on for the rest of the day and the one after. I kept the exact same schedule both days; knifes, then spears, then berries, then knots, then bow and arrows. The second day I went to the fire building station instead of berries.

The next day Cato, Glimmer, Marvel, and I are scoping out the competition. We watch as the boy from 12, Peeta is trying to climb on a wall and falls. It was hysterical. We all erupt into laughter. We watch as the 12 girl goes over and tells him something.

We are still laughing when he stands up and picks up one of the throwing balls.

"He's gonna throw it!" Marvel manages to get out between fits of laughter. I look over and see that Marvel is right. He is going to throw it, which makes us all laugh even harder.

Peeta throws the ball and it hits a rack of spears. It was mildly impressive. We all look over to Cato – who shrugs and walks away- and we do the same.

I have never felt more prepared for anything in my life.

Individual training is tomorrow and I am more than ready. I am so excited. I am going to blow the gamemaker's minds tomorrow; I know I will. I know that I am ready.


	5. Chapter 5

Marvel went into the room 8 and a half minutes ago. He'll be done any time and then the speaker will read my name. I sit on the bench next to Cato, who could not be any calmer. I, however am shaking my legs; nervous habit that I've yet to grow out of.

It feels like a lifetime before the speakers crackle to life and the robotic voice reads; "Clove Carlisle." When I hear my name I start to stand up and I pause for half a second when I feel Cato squeeze my hand and whispers "Good luck." I just smirk and start towards the doors.

I walk into the training room. It seems so much smaller than before, most likely because there is only me alone in the room with the gamemakers watching me. The room is small. I am small. I stand looking straight at them and say in my most mature voice I can muster, "Clove Carlisle, District 2"

Seneca Crane smiles at me and nods once. I have never felt so proud. I head straight towards the knife wall and fill up an entire tray with an array of throwing knifes and daggers. I throw many knifes at the targets, the woman from the training making them light up.

Next, I choose to show off my combat skills by cutting off mannequins' heads and stabbing them straight in the heart. I continue doing that and more throwing until my 10 minutes are up.

When one of the other gamemakers told me my time was up they all stood up and clapped for me. I gave them my signature smirk, turned, and headed out the door.

When I got back to the apartment I wasn't aware of how tired I was until Enobaria told me to rest up until the scores are shown. Now realizing how exhausted I am, I go to my room and immediately fall asleep.

**What Others Think**

At 8 o'clock sharp I find myself in the living room of the apartment on the couch with Cato, Enobaria, Angel, Randy, and Arnold waiting for Caesar Flickerman to come on the screen and tell us what we scored.

We sit on the couch and I realize that I am shaking the entire couch. Angel grabs my hand and squeezes it and looks up at me in the most comforting way possible. I become very relaxed.

Next thing I know, I see Caesar –blue hair, twinkle suit and all- on screen ready to announce the scores. I am so nervous that I don't even realize I completely blocked out the scores of the District 1 tributes.

I am jolted back into reality when I hear Caesar announce Cato's score: a 10. We all scream and hug and are so excited until the TV we completely forgot about in the background announces; "and Clove with a score of…" He pauses to look down at his sheet. It was only a few seconds so there would be a dramatic wait, but it very well could have been my whole lifetime. My eagerness is cut off by a number. The number that changes my whole life. "A score of 10."

My heart stops. I don't feel present in the room until Angel wraps her arms around me jolting me back into reality.

The whole room is chaos; Screaming, cheering, hugging, and crying (Arnold). Randy brings in a tray with 6 mugs of hot cocoa and chocolate covered strawberries, and everything is perfect in the world. Everything's perfect until district 12.

"And lastly," Caesar begins, "Katniss Everdeen, with a score of: 11." And the world halts. It stops spinning, time pauses and all that is real is Cato and I sitting on the couch, clenched fists, ready to take out The Girl on Fire.

Cato looks over at me, blank face, a smirk on my own and we make an unspoken pact that no matter what happens in the arena Katniss Everdeen will not win. We will kill Katniss Everdeen if it is the last thing that we do.


	6. Chapter 6

Last night was long. Cato and I sat by the window all night plotting on how we will kill Katniss. So next thing I know I am in a private dressing room with Angel and her team primping me for my interview.

One woman tying up my hair in intricate knots and twists, another coating my face with a soft layer of gold makeup, the other, a man, taking in different places on my gown so it fits to my body better, while Angel is giving me a pep talk.

"You are going for vicious killer, am I correct?" she pauses so I can nod. When I do, she continues, "So all that you have to do is talk about your skills, knifes, strength, and hand-on-hand combat. Impress them. You are 16 years old, also, no offense, you are tiny." She looks at me as I feel my cheeks flush. She continues, "But, you are vicious, fiery, and a well trained killer, all along with being stunning. That is your appeal." She finishes and sits back in her chair and smiles at me. I smile back, surprised that it is an actual smile and not my evil smirk.

Angel took me over to the mirror that shows me myself from every angle imaginable. I look like… a girl. Like a lovely young woman. My dress is long, and gold with red and orange drapes wrapped all around me. The dress is stunning; I am stunning.

"You may be a killer, but you are beautiful" Angel says squeezing my shoulders from behind.

I am flattered and slightly embarrassed. I have no time to ponder it farther because the speaker in my dressing room beeps, telling the tributes to line up backstage.

**Clove's Debut**

I am thinking so thoroughly through what Angel told me to do that I don't notice that both Marvel and Glimmer have finished and it is now time for my interview.

A tall woman with orange skin and a large headset ushers me to the outskirts of the stage. I wait there, surprised by how calm I am until Caesar gestures towards me.

"From District 2, Clove Carlisle." He gives me the cue that I am to come out of stage, so I do so. I walk up the steps on the stage, holding up my dress so I am not to trip on it; I don't want to look like a klutz.

"Welcome, Clove." Caesar extends his hand and I take it in mine and shake it. Caesar sits down and so I follow his lead and sit in the white cushy chair next to his. "So, Clove," he continues, "How are you liking the Capitol?

"Well," I start, "It's huge. And everything is so colorful. A lot more… ummm… bright than District 2. You guys have much more knifves here than we do back home." I conclude, turning to smirk for the audience.

"What is your greatest skill that you will use in the game?" He asks me.

"I throw knives." I say, smirking again.

"Are you good?" He asks, not knowing what to expect.

I look out into the audience, pause with a smirk and say; "I never miss." And continue smirking.

Caesar looks taken aback by my confidence, but the audience just looks intrigued.

"If you don't mind my asking, Clove," He fumbles to remember my name, "Exactly how old are you?"

I glare at him and he seems to shrink into his chair with regret, "I'm sixteen." I answer solemnly.

"My my," Caesar begins, "aren't you a tiny little thing then, stunning, I do say," The audience cheers in agreement, "but tiny."

"but that makes me quick," I'm starting to get mad, "You see you don't have to be big to win the games, because I am not big and well," I pause for dramatic effect, "I am going to win." I say surely, and for a moment I believe it myself.

"Well, well, well," Caesar starts, "it was _very _nice to meet you, Clove. And the best of luck to you." He shakes my hand again.

"Very nice to meet you too, Caesar." I say still shaking his hand.

When the shake is over he grabs my other hand, the one at his side, and raises it into the air with his own announcing; "Ladies and gentlemen, Clove!" in his most animated voice. The audience erupts into chaotic cheers as I give a final smirk and exit the stage.


	7. Chapter 7

I don't even remember going to bed. I remember I went up to the apartment with Angel and waited for Cato. I guess I must have fallen asleep on the couch. I guess Cato took me to my room because when I woke up Cato was asleep next to me in my bed.

I glance at the clock next to my bed: 7:15. Randy told us to be on the roof at 7:30.

"Cato." I say. He doesn't budge. "Cato!" I try again, louder. "Come on, Cato." I finish, flicking him in the ear. He jolts awake and I tell him we have 15 minutes. He nods and leaves the room.

I go into the bathroom and look at myself in the mirror. I look awful; smeared makeup from last night all over my face and my hair in a huge knot on top of my head. I just finished brushing my teeth when Enobaria rushes into my room and lays my clothes on my bed. She leaves the room before I can even say I word to her.

I walk over and put on the clothes. I braid the front of my hair back in 4 braids and pull the ends into a ponytail: my signature style. I walk over to the full-length mirror and stare blankly at my reflection. I practice my smirk again and soak in my appearance. I look like a killer who should be feared. And that's what I am. I actually look scary; cargo pants, brown, lace-up boots, a green T-shirt, and a black jacket that may also be a raincoat.

I just started to make my way to the door as Randy knocks and says; "Time to go!" He's excited, I can tell.

Enobaria, Cato, and I make our way to the elevator and up to the roof. When we emerge we see all of the tributes arranged by district. Cato goes over to take his space between Glimmer and the empty spot where I should be.

I begin to follow Cato when I feel Enobaria grabs my arm, halting me. "You can do this, Clove. Really, you can. You're strong and so is Cato. But remember this, Clove: Only. One Can. Win. And don't let anything stand in your way." I nod and she pats me on the back signaling me to take my spot.

I stand in between Cato and Andrew, the boy from 3 –the one who is going to rebury the mines- and wait until 7:40 when the tributes from 6 finally arrive.

We are all ushered into the hovercraft to take our seats, girls on one side, boys on the other. Right before we are ready to take off, a tall peacekeeper stops at each tribute injecting something into our left arms.

"What is that?" Katniss asks. God, I hate her. It's clearly the tracker.

"It's your tracker." The peacekeeper tells her. The other careers and I giggle and she gets embarrassed. I smirk again.


	8. Chapter 8

We ride in silence for about half an hour until we land. Next thing I know I am being ushered out of the hovercraft and into a room marked: "2 Female" I open the door and find Angel standing there, her eyes solemn and pained.

I surprise even myself when I find that I run through the whole room into her arms. She strokes my hair and I feel safe and loved; and I like it.

"10 seconds" I hear the automated voice saying. Angel kisses me on the forehead and I walk over to the tube that will take me up into the arena.

I am shocked by the fact that I am not nervous at all. The moment after I step onto the pad with both feet the glass closes around me. Not only am I not nervous, I am excited. I'm going to win this thing.


	9. Chapter 9

The gong sounds and I go. Sprinting as fast as I can. I find a backpack that looks very full and sling it over my shoulder. I am searching through all of the metal containers. I look up and around to make sure no one is coming after me. I see the chaos going on around me and smile. _This is it. _

I see that Cato has already impaled the boy from 9 with his sword; Marvel is chasing the girl from 7 and stabs her through the heart with his spear. I see that Glimmer is walking away from the girl from 10 who she just stabbed. I see all these killings around me and realize that I don't have a weapon.

Then, I find it. I see a belt that looks almost exactly my size. It's not only a belt, but it has hooks and pockets and they are all full of knifes. I smirk again, fasten it around my waist, and grab a dagger. I run to the back of the cornucopia where I see boy from 5 slashing the girl from 3 which makes me glad to know that we, the careers, are not the only one's killing. I also see the boy from 8 kick the boy from 10's dead body, who he had previously strangled. The girl from 4 just cut off the leg of the boy from 6 and I watched him slowly bled to death.

I hear Glimmer screaming my name and I run around to the right side of the cornucopia where she jabs a knife into the girl from 6's back.

"Katniss." Is all she said and I followed her eye line to see Katniss being approached by the boy from 7 who has an axe. _She's mine. _I think.

I throw the dagger right at the boy and it hits his back and he falls over, dead. Before I even have the time to think about it, I am grabbing another knife from my belt and chuck it at Katniss. Unfortunately, she puts her backpack in front of her face and stops my throw. I run after her, hoping that I can get to her before she gets up off the ground, but she gets up and I decide not to pursue her, there is too much fun activity happening at the cornucopia. Before I head back to the action I pull the knife out of the boy's back, wipe the blood off on the grass and stick the knife back in my belt.

I turn around to find the boy from 5 slammed down by his hair by the boy from 8. I laughed at the wimpy attempt, however when I become closer to him I realize that it killed him. I see the huge tribute from 11, Thresh; I think slit the throat of the boy from 8 who tried to attack him. I see the boy from 3 -our "ally"- shoving the girl from seven into the cornucopia with such force that it kills her. I am most certainly impressed by him.

Once all of the tributes that lived through the bloodbath cleared out leaving just Cato, Glimmer, Marvel, Andrew, and myself, we all head into the mouth of the cornucopia to collect the rest of the supplies. As we turn around to the front of the cornucopia the small boy from 4 runs out and Cato cuts off his head with his sword before he can even see us. And with that, the initial bloodbath at the cornucopia has ceased.


	10. Chapter 10

The gong sounds and I go. Sprinting as fast as I can. I find a backpack that looks very full and sling it over my shoulder. I am searching through all of the metal containers. I look up and around to make sure no one is coming after me. I see the chaos going on around me and smile. _This is it. _

I see that Cato has already impaled the boy from 9 with his sword; Marvel is chasing the girl from 7 and stabs her through the heart with his spear. I see that Glimmer is walking away from the girl from 10 who she just stabbed. I see all these killings around me and realize that I don't have a weapon.

Then, I find it. I see a belt that looks almost exactly my size. It's not only a belt, but it has hooks and pockets and they are all full of knifes. I smirk again, fasten it around my waist, and grab a dagger. I run to the back of the cornucopia where I see boy from 5 slashing the girl from 3 which makes me glad to know that we, the careers, are not the only one's killing. I also see the boy from 8 kick the boy from 10's dead body, who he had previously strangled. The girl from 4 just cut off the leg of the boy from 6 and I watched him slowly bled to death.

I hear Glimmer screaming my name and I run around to the right side of the cornucopia where she jabs a knife into the girl from 6's back.

"Katniss." Is all she said and I followed her eye line to see Katniss being approached by the boy from 7 who has an axe. _She's mine. _I think.

I throw the dagger right at the boy and it hits his back and he falls over, dead. Before I even have the time to think about it, I am grabbing another knife from my belt and chuck it at Katniss. Unfortunately, she puts her backpack in front of her face and stops my throw. I run after her, hoping that I can get to her before she gets up off the ground, but she gets up and I decide not to pursue her, there is too much fun activity happening at the cornucopia. Before I head back to the action I pull the knife out of the boy's back, wipe the blood off on the grass and stick the knife back in my belt.

I turn around to find the boy from 5 slammed down by his hair by the boy from 8. I laughed at the wimpy attempt, however when I become closer to him I realize that it killed him. I see the huge tribute from 11, Thresh; I think slit the throat of the boy from 8 who tried to attack him. I see the boy from 3 -our "ally"- shoving the girl from seven into the cornucopia with such force that it kills her. I am most certainly impressed by him.

Once all of the tributes that lived through the bloodbath cleared out leaving just Cato, Glimmer, Marvel, Andrew, and myself, we all head into the mouth of the cornucopia to collect the rest of the supplies. As we turn around to the front of the cornucopia the small boy from 4 runs out and Cato cuts off his head with his sword before he can even see us. And with that, the initial bloodbath at the cornucopia has ceased.


	11. Chapter 11

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve. I count the canon fires. And Marvel confirms after he counted the bodies. Cato and I high five and we all start going through the supplies. We go through everything. I discovered that the insider of my jacket has the same hooks and pockets at my belt and I ferociously search through all of the bins for more knifes.

"Clove, come here." I hear Glimmer calling me from the other side of the cornucopia. She is standing over a bin, beaming. As I get closer to the bin I see full of metal. And then I see that it is full to the brim of knifes. Granted, the bin is rather small, but that is a lot of knifes. I see Cato and Marvel make there way over as well. I continue taking knifes out of the bin until every hook and pocket on my belt and in my jacket is occupied. I pick up another knife, and just for kicks I threw it into the back of a lizard I see crawling about 14 feet away. The other careers and I laugh.

"Um… Cato," Andrew says. We all look over to him and he shrinks back, "The mines are reburied." He says and waits there for further instruction.

"Ok, we are going to pile all the supplies up inside the bomb circle." Cato tells us and we do as he says. We continue to pile up the supplies until they are all in a mound of untouchable appeal. No one can get our supplies or they with blow up. We admire our work when we see the small but muscular body of Peeta Mellark walk out of the woods.


	12. Chapter 12

Well, well, well, what do we have here?" I ask in a mocking tone.

"Did lover boy lose his little girlfriend?" Glimmer chimes in.

"Who do you think you are?" Marvel asks as Cato approaches Peeta with his bloody sword in here as we all cheer.

"Kill him Cato!" I cheer. Cato is standing three feet away from Peeta and he doesn't move.

"I know where she is." He says just as Cato lifts his word to chop off Peeta's head. "She went that way," he says pointing into the woods, "and I guarantee that I can help you find her and kill her.

"Alright. Get a weapon and let's go." Cato says and Peeta grabs and axe off of the pile and we head into the wood to track down Katniss Everdeen.


	13. Chapter 13

We walked all day searching for her but we didn't find her. We did find a piece of her clothing on a tree, her boot marks, and one of her snares, so I'm sure we are on the right track.

It had just grown dark when Cato starts to laugh and points over some bushes at smoke and I flame. I shake my head and smirk as we head towards the light.

I'm walking next to Glimmer when Cato hangs back and whispers to the two of us; "What do you think, have lover boy do it?" Glimmer and I nod and smirk and run towards the stupid girl from 8 who lit a fire in the dark of night.

"Hello." Cato says as we enter her clearing from behind. She whips around and stares at us complete terror in her eyes.

"Your right, it is cold out. But, in this thing fire will kill you." I say smirking at her.

"Please don't kill me. Please!" The girl from 8 begs.

"That's not the only thing that will kill you out here though," Cato starts, "Isn't that right, lover boy?" Cato says, taunting Peeta. Peeta looks at all of us glaring at him, evil smirks on our faces when he brings down the axe with all of his strength and cuts the girl's body in half, an ear-piercing scream echoing throughout the woods.

"We should go back to the lake. It's not far from here and that's where all of our stuff is." Cato says and we all nod in agreement and head back to our camp.

On the walk back we have a lot of fun by making fun of the girl from 8. All of the other careers and I laughed while Glimmer imitates her; "Please don't kill me no!" she says in a girly voice

"That was a good impression," Cato tells her.

"That was hilarious. Like we weren't gonna kill her." I chime in. We laugh all the way back to the camp and sleep on the plastic hammocks that we found in one of the bins.


	14. Chapter 14

The next morning we wake up right at sunrise and make our way back to the spot that we stopped last night. We walk about 4 miles and find nothing

We are still laughing about the girl from 8 when we approach the creek and then- "There she is!" marvel screams. And he's right. She is in the creek and as soon as we start running towards her she gets out and runs, which makes us all laugh hysterically.

"She's mine!" Cato screams and we all are fighting over who gets to kill her. We find her climbing up a tree when we reach her.

"That's not gonna help you up there, Katniss!' I scream at her.

She is rather high in the tree when Cato begins to climb to try to reach her.

*This part of the story will now be told in convenient script format*

Me: Kill her, Cato!

Glimmer: get her!

Me: kill her, Cato! Kill her, Cato!

Cato falls from half way up the tree and lands hard on his back. I roll my eyes in frustration.

Me: somebody Kill. Her.

Glimmer: I'll do it myself

Glimmer shoots the arrow and misses Katniss' head by just a hair.

Cato: let me do it

Cato shoots the bow and arrow but misses by a long shot.

Katniss: Maybe you should throw the sword.

Me: Kill. Her.

Peeta: lets just wait her out.

I forgot that Peeta was even with us. We all turn and look at him like he's crazy, because he is.

Peeta: She's gotta come down at some point. It's that or starve to death.

We all look at each other and nod in agreement.

Cato: ok, fine. Somebody start a fire.

And so we all lay down around the fire that Marvel set up. I throw a knife in another lizard. _Why are there so many lizards here? _I think to myself as we all lie down to sleep for the night.

The next morning was not a good wakeup call. I am sleeping with a knife in my hand

**We'll Wait her Out**

The next morning was not a good wakeup call. I am sleeping with a knife in my hand; ready to attack when I hear screams erupting from the people around me. I am screaming too when I realize that a swarm of what seems like bees are buzzing around me, stinging every inch of bare skin that I have on my body. I don't realize what these insects are until I can no longer see straight; tracker jackers. I am leading the pack headed straight toward the lake where the mutts can't reach when I hear the canon boom. I realize that m stomach twists when it enters my mind that it could be Cato. I think I see him next to me, but the fact that my feet are flippers and the trees have all turned orange and started pouring sugar leave me a wondering if I truly saw him or not.

When I arrive at the lake I waste no time in jumping straight in. I stay under water until my lungs feel as though they are about to burst and then I come up, gasping for air. I walk back onto the bank and remove my jacket.

I examine my arms and legs. I really wish I hadn't rolled up my pants, it only provided more exposed skin. My skin is covered in bumps and rashes from the mutts. I rub them with my hands and they burn when I touch them. I look around me and see Marvel only looking solemn and upset. I look at him, raising my eyebrow in question.

"Glimmer." Is all he said. I immediately feel a raging fire growing in my chest. The girl on fire is going down. I look around and notice an absence and ask Marvel; "Where is Cato?" I ask. Marvel has just finished shrugging when another cannon fires.


	15. Chapter 15

I sat down on a rock, silent, just sat there. I watched as Marvel did the same. I didn't know what to do. My brain wanted to scream, my heart wanted to cry, and my logic told me not to do anything. And that's what I did.

I wasn't silent because I listened to my logic but because my heart was beating so fast that hardly any oxygen was getting into my lungs.

I felt my stomach clench but I knew I had to pull myself together. That's what Cato would have wanted. Would have. He's gone.

I just got the idea into my head when a muscular figure trampled through the shrubs. It was Cato. Before I even had time to rationalize, I was up on my feet dashing towards Cato. My brain told me to keep myself together, but no matter how hard I tried, my legs wouldn't stop running.

I throw myself into his already open arms. I feel my cheeks get hot and I feel my eyes start to sting with tears. Bite my lip and swallow hard refusing to let myself be week for even a second.

"What was that about?" Cato asks, chuckling a bit at my overwhelming excitement that he was there.

"We heard the canon and," I look over to Marvel, still on the edge of crying, "And we thought it was you." I finish.

"No it wasn't. I don't know who it was though. I actually thought it was one of you, I though that the tracker jackers got you like they got-" He stops and glances at Marvel and knows that he should not continue his phrase.

I look down to the bloody sword by his side. I was still debating whether or not to ask what happened when he explained.

"Lover boy was back there telling 12 to run. He was protecting her. We guaranteed him more life and he spent it on her. I slashed his leg but he got away. He's not dead yet, but he might as well be. We don't have to worry about him; he's good as dead. Come on, let's go back to the camp." Cato starts walking past us in the direction of the lake. Marvel and I follow, only the three of us left in the career pack. Well, and the little runt from 3, but he wont last much longer.


	16. Chapter 16

After we got back to the camp Marvel made a fire, I picked out what we would eat, and Cato sharpened his spears and swords some more.

The boy from three is sitting alone in the corner of the tent, trembling. _We already have the bomb set up, why do we still keep him around? _I thought to myself, but knew not to say out loud.

We had just finished eating our beans and mashed potatoes when Marvel jumped up from his seat.

Cato and I both stare at him, confused, until we see what he is pointing to in the forest. Smoke. From a fire. Two of them. I slyly grin, but then I realize something, something bad.


	17. Chapter 17

"Come on let's go!" Cato screams, arming himself with a sword and two spears. I grab my jacket, the inside lined with every type of knife you can imagine. But then I stop in my tracks.

"Stop." I instruct Cato and Marvel. Of course, they don't listen to me and keep walking. "I said stop!" I say, frustrated because they aren't listening to me. They both turn around and look at me, eyebrows raised in question. I roll my eyes, frustrated that I am the only one who has connected the dots. "It's a trap." I tell them nonchalantly.

"You think we don't know that?" Cato says while he and Marvel chuckle in amusement. "They know it's a trap, we know it's a trap. We have the advantage." He finishes and looks at me smugly.

"And how is that exactly." I humor him with the question I know that he was waiting for.

"Because, Clove, they don't know that we know. And that gives up the perfect opportunity to come out on top." He finishes and crosses his arms in smugness.

I was convinced. "lead the way." I tell him, but he doesn't move forward, he moves back.

"You keep watch and don't you DARE let anyone get in or out of here alive." I realize that Cato is instructing the boy from 3 to keep watch. Maybe it's not such a bad thing that we kept him around. "Oh, and here." Cato turns back around and shoves one of his spears into the boy's shaking hands.

Cato joins up with the two of us as we break through the thick blanket of forest.

We had just made it to the first of the two fires when we discovered that there was no one there, just as I had predicted. We just rolled our eyes at the sad attempt at capturing us when we heard an explosion. Not like the explosion of the cannon, but bigger than that.

"Did that sound like-" Marvel started, but I cut him off.

"24 mines going off at once?" I finish, "yes, yes it did." I answer my own question.


	18. Chapter 18

I heard Cato curse under his breath. Then he screamed: "SHIT!" and it took me by surprise. He screamed again and ran in the direction we came from back to the camp.

Marvel and I quickly followed but lost him shortly after he crashed through the first layer of trees.

We did not see them again until we reached the clearing, but we sure did he him long before that. Screaming at the top of his lungs.

When Marvel and I arrived Cato had already yanked the spear away from the boy from 3 and was approaching him threateningly.

"What the hell happened?" He screamed in his face. Marvel and I were still running into the clearing when the frightened boy began to respond

"I I I I…" he stammered, "The girl from 5, the one that looks like a fox…" he started, "she came and stole some supplies and… and I chased her, I almost got her too. But then I came back because I wanted to guard the camp and the girl from 12, the one that killed Glimmer," He pauses and glances at Marvel who cringes at the sound of his partner tribute's name. "She came and shot two arrows at the bag of apples and…" he stopped, "and everything went black. I woke up just a while ago and heard you scream and Katniss, Katniss was already gone." He finished and stares at Cato with a sincere apology in his eyes. "I'm sorry." He says to Cato and then looks at the ground, well aware of the fact that his short life would be ending very soon.

Honestly, I felt kind of bad for him. He is a thirteen-year-old boy who clearly _tried_ to do his job. But he slipped up. And making even the slightest mistake in the games will cost your life. And he knew it.

"I really did try my best." He says, looking straight up into Cato's eyes.

"That's not good enough." Cato spits back. In a blur of muscles and screaming, the boy lays on the ground, lifeless, neck broken by Cato as the cannon fires.

Cato, Marvel, and I stand around the boy's corpse in silence waiting for the hovercraft to come and take him away. When the hovercraft finally comes, Marvel practically stomps away from us into the forest.

"Where are you going, Marvel?" I yell behind him.

"I'm going after her. I am going to kill the girl on fire." Marvel says. Anger flushed over his face, ears practically steaming. I could see his heart beating through his chest. His anger was contagious. Looking at him made me angrier than I'd almost been in my life. And Cato, well Cato was already the angriest out of all of us.

"Fine. Go. Avenge Glimmer. Whatever. You have no idea what this girl is capable of. She's going to kill you." Cato says in the most evil way he can.

"KATNISS!" we hear the scream in the distance.

"The little girl is caught in my net. If I can't physically kill the girl on fire, then I will kill her emotionally, and then you guys can finish her. The girl on fire can not win the games, she _will _not." Marvel finishes and sprints into the woods.

The next time we saw Marvel he was in the sky, the first of today's fallen, followed by the little girl, who was- of course- not followed by Katniss Everdeen.

"He did it. Well he did what _he _set out to do." I say to Cato and he only responds with a smile before he lays down to sleep.

**2 Who Originate from the Same District**

Cato and I wake up a few hours later by the voice of Claudius Templesmith booming down to us in the arena. First, he congratulates the 6 of us left in the arena. Only 6: Myself, Cato, the girl who looks like a fox, the huge boy from 11, Katniss, and lover boy.

"There has been a rule change," Claudius begins, "The rule requiring one lone victor has been," he pauses, "suspended." He continues, "It has been decided that two victors may be crowned if they both originate from the same district. This will be the only announcement." Claudius finishes and the air grows silent.

"Oh my god!" I say, looking at Cato, stunned.

I start giggling and talking about the rule change when all of a sudden Cato silences me by pressing his lips to mine. It caught me by surprise. I have never kissed anyone before. I guess if I'm going to die in here then why not? All of a sudden, Cato pulls back, leaving me wanting more.

He looks at the ground, cheeks flushed as he says: "I'm sorry… I" He didn't finish his apology because this time it was me doing the silencing by pushing my lips onto his, even more fierce then before. He grabs my face in his too strong hands and I wrap my arms around his muscular back. This goes on a little while more.

Finally I pull back and just smile at him. "We can both make it out." he says, a huge smile spread from cheek to cheek.

"I know." I say back with just the same excitement that I heard in his voice.

Cato leans in and quickly pecks my lips with his own and then he wraps his arms around me in a loving and excited embrace.

We were hugging when I feel his warm breath on my neck and hear his voice, soft and gentle in my ear: "I love you." He says, which takes me by surprise. I pull back out of the embrace, not realizing how offended I looked until I see it reflected back to me in his eyes.

I quickly pull him in and kiss him again, letting him know that I feel the same. I pull back, but only slightly. I press my forehead to his and say back: "I love you too." I say and his lips meet mine again, hungrier, more passionate than before. I twist my hands through his matted hair and he pulls me closer, his hands firmly wrapped around my waist.


	19. Chapter 19

This goes on for a little longer until we decide to go look for lover boy because Cato knows exactly where he is. We travel down to the river and see Katniss leaning over a pile of mud with eyes staring up at her lovingly. He points at us and Katniss aims and shoots one of her arrows. She didn't miss by much but Cato and I lay on the ground and made it physically impossible for that arrow to have hit us.

We hear Peeta yell to Katniss in his weak, pathetic tone. "Katniss, run. You're no good to anyone dead. Run, Katniss, run for Prim. RUN!" The last run was vicious and demanding and Katniss was up on her feet and running at lightning speed into the cover of the forest.

Cato and I approach the muddy mess of bone, flesh, and blood and Cato takes a spear and holds it in the air over his own head. But he stops, I look at him in confusion.

I begin to understand what he is doing when a vicious smile creeps up onto his face as he says, "This is for Glimmer. And since you let that little brat escape us, this is for Marvel too." He finishes as he lunges the spear straight into Peeta's chest as lover boy screams that he loves Katniss and his voice is ended by his death. We didn't realized that we never heard the canon.

"One down, three to go." Cato stands up and smirks at me. I giggle and he grabs my hand and we begin to walk back to our camp.

I am walking with Cato's hand in one hand and my sharpened knife in the other. We are walking in complete bliss and silence when we are startled my Claudius Templesmith's voice once again. "Today, commencing at sunrise there will be a feast at the Cornucopia. Now hold on. Some of you may already be declining my invitation. But this will be no ordinary feast. Each of you needs something desperately. Each of you will find that something in a backpack, marked with your district number, at the Cornucopia at dawn. Think hard about refusing to show up. For some of you, this will be your last chance." He finishes.

I expected him to go on, need him to go on. I needed to know more about the feast, I hungered for it. But my ears were greeted with nothing but the evening wind and the sound of Cato's excitement. He kissed me once more and we went over to sleep _inside _the Cornucopia for the morning feast to begin.

Out the mouth of the Cornucopia I see the girl from 12 grab her bag and begin to run around the Cornucopia. I throw one of my knives that grazes her forehead leaving behind I bloody gash. I never miss, but I wanted to keep her around a little while longer. She shoots three arrows in my direction, two far to my left side and one into my upper left arm. I rip it out with ease and have too much adrenaline coursing through my body to even feel the slightest bit of pain.

I throw two more knifes in her direction, one straight towards her stomach which causes her to fall backwards onto the ground as she dodges it.

I am running harder than I'd ever ran before. Katniss is just standing there dumbstruck as I throw my body onto her and slam her into the ground. I pin her shoulders down with my left arm, knife in that hand at her throat. I am pinning her right hand down with my left foot and both of her legs down with my right knee. Unfortunately for her, her right arm was under her body, so she pinned it down for herself.

I hear the canon and I know that Cato got Foxface, that was his mission.

I know her little sister is watching. I know my brother is watching. I know that she wants this to be fast. But _she _knows that it wont be. I wanted to savor this. I wanted to kill her physically but I wanted to ruin her emotionally as well.

"Well, well, well." I say in my most vicious voice. I tilt my head from side to side, trying my best to soak her in from every angle. "If it isn't the girl on fire," I continue, "But wait," I pause, looking up and around the forest for the show I was born to put on for the capitol, "Where's your boyfriend?" I ask, knitting my eyebrows in false confusion, "Oh," I giggle, "That's right, we killed him," I pause, looking straight into her eyes as I say it, "just like we did your little," I pause for dramatic effect, "friend," I put on my signature smirk before I continue, "That little girl," I start, " What was her name again?" I ask viciously, "The little one hopping from the trees? Rue?" I say spitting the little girls name into her face, "yeah, well we killed her. First her, then lover boy, and now, you." I open the left side of my jacket to purposefully show her the possibility of knives she can be killed with.

I pull out the daintiest of my knives, ready to carve her face when a huge human being yanked me off of the girl on fire and pinned me to the side of the Cornucopia. It was the huge boy from 11, Thresh.


	20. Chapter 20

"You killed her?" he asks, screaming deep in his throat.

"No, no, it wasn't me." I say quickly, stumbling over my words. I truly am scared of this boy.

"I heard you." He said.

"CATO! CATO!" I am screaming at the top of my lungs.

"You said her name! You said her name!" He says while I am still screaming for Cato. And just as I think that all hope may be lost, the strong hands drop me onto the ground and I am blinded by the splatter of blood from Thresh's neck.

I am greeted by Cato covered in blood, Thresh's headless body, and his lone head rolling past the side of the Cornucopia. I realize that I am alive, but so is Katniss Everdeen.

I quickly turn my head to where I was about to kill her but see that the grass is empty. I see a stumbling figure running inside the forest and I take off, Cato not too far behind me. I am gaining on her quickly and she knows it. She turns around, arrow in hand ready to stab me. I take her by surprise however. I yank the arrow out of her hand and press it on her skin right where her heart is.

"This is for Glimmer," I say as I carve a deep "G" into her right shoulder. "This is for Marvel," I say as I carve an "M" left shoulder the same way. "This is for the Capitol," I say as I cut a gash along her throat, "This is for Cato," I continue as I stab her in the stomach. I pull the arrow out of her flesh and I say, "And this, well, this is for me." I finish then I stab her straight the heart as she lets out a deafening shriek which is muffled over by the canon.

"We did it!" I yell to Cato.

"You did it." Cato corrects me. I giggle and hug him and he spins me around in the air. He picks me up and carries me into the field and kisses me as the victors from district 2.


	21. Chapter 21

We stand, hand in hand, waiting for the hovercraft to come and pick up the victors just like they do every year in every other Hunger Games. But it doesn't come.

Instead we are greeted by the sharp voice of Claudius Templesmith booming down to us in the arena, "Greetings to the final two contestants in the seventy-fourth Hunger Games. The earlier revision allowing two victors from the same district has been," he pauses, "Revoked. Closer examination of the rulebook has disclosed that only one winner may be allowed. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor." He finishes and I have never heard I silence that quiet but that loud.

Cato and I just look at each other. Stunned. Both of us silent, not daring to say a word.

"I can't believe this." Cato is the first to break the silence.

"I can. I should have known it was a trick. I knew it was too good to be true." I saw back, a tear trickling down my cheek.

"Clove, I love you," Cato starts but pauses to kiss me again, "I can't kill you. I love you more than life itself." He finishes.

"You love me more than life?" I ask cautiously, desperately searching to find a loophole.

"Yes I really do." Cato says, smiling, looking at me with loving eyes.

I smile at him softly, trying to take in his beautiful face, all of it. I need to remember him just like this. My soft smile was abruptly greeted by my sharp, deathly smirk, "Good." Is all I say as I stab the arrow I used to kill Katniss Everdeen into his stomach. He looks at me like I am a monster. I feel like a monster.

I gently lay him down on the ground, placing his head in my lap. I stroke his hair as I look into his eyes. "For what it's worth," I start, "I love you too. And I am so sorry. But I have to win, Cato, I have to." I finish and lean my head down and I kiss him in his last moments of consciousness.

My lips are still gently rested on his as the canon fires and the hovercraft flies over me and a rope ladder drops down. I grab the rope and I climb into the safety of the hovercraft and out of the hell that is the seventy-fourth Hunger Games arena.


	22. Chapter 22

When I returned to the apartment the welcoming arms of Enobaria and Angel greet me. Enobaria told me that President Snow is very excited to meet me and that he is very proud of my sacrifice.

Angel quickly ushers me to me room and tells me to wash up and get some rest because my interview with Caesar Flickerman was tomorrow.

After entering the room the first thing I did was run into the bathroom. I stayed in the shower for two and a half hours. I was scrubbing my body to make sure all traces of my victims' blood off of my skin. I scrubbed my hands the hardest however. I wanted all the parts of my hands that killed Cato to be gone. I never want to look at my hands again.

Most of the time I spent in the shower I was just sitting in the middle of the shower wanting, craving all of my sins to wash down the drain with the dirt and blood that was formerly caked on my skin.

I sat in the shower and cried. No cameras are on me now. I don't have to be strong Clove that every child in the Capitol and in most districts looks up to for strength and inspiration. I can be Clover. Someone I haven't been in a long time. Then I realized that in most of the arena I was Clover. Clover was the one who fell for Cato, Clover was the one who felt bad after Cato killed the boy from 3. Clove was there too though. She helped kill the girl with the foxface and Katniss and even Cato.

Everyone talks about how the arena makes you tougher. But they are wrong. The arena makes you feel and it makes you love and it makes you become your true self, which may or may not be a vicious, bloodthirsty killer.

I climb into my bed, the same one that I slept in the night before the games. But there is one big difference: Cato wasn't lying there beside me. I don't have the right to be sad. It's because of me that he isn't here. But I have to remember that if Cato was here, I wouldn't be. Clove was the one that told me this. But Clover was laying in bed sobbing and cried herself to sleep.


	23. Chapter 23

I walk on to the familiar stage but I have no memory of this place. The bright lights blind me again but it feels like the first time. I feel like a person, not just a vicious killing machine. I look at myself in the huge screen showing the parts of this interview that they will see all throughout Panem. Not only do I no longer feel harmless, I no longer look harmless. I look like an innocent 16-year-old girl. And with all that I've been through, that is saying a lot.

Caesar welcomes me to the stage and offers the white, cushy seat next to his own. The same seat I had sat on two weeks earlier. The same seat little Rue, Katniss, lover boy, Marvel, Cato, and all the other tributes had sat on before and after me. The same chair that I, out of all 24 of us to sit on it, am the only one who will ever sit on it again.

"Clove, how do you feel now that you are out of the games?" Caesar asks.

I don't know how to answer. I haven't thought about it much, but before even one word popped into my head I was already talking from my heart, "Well, my whole life I have been watching the games back home in district 2 and I have been preparing to be in them myself. All I was ever really told to do was win the games. And now that I've done that, I really don't know where I am supposed to go." I finish.

Caesar starts immediately after I finish, "Yes, yes. Now, Clove, it is time to watch some of your highlights in the games. Are you ready?" He looks over at me with his thumb on the play button on the remote in his hand.

Regardless of my answer, he and all of Panem are expecting to have a review of the sins that I committed in the arena, but this time I was invited to watch. I nod slightly, knowing that I have no other choice. I cringe slightly as the television flickers on showing me, back home, at the day of the reaping holding Cole's hand.

Cole. What is he going to think? Is he going to be proud? Disgusted? I don't know what he will think, maybe because I don't even know what I think myself.

Then it shows my name getting called and me walking onto stage. I've never seen myself look so angry and terrified, _am I really that transparent?_ I ask it off.

Next, the tribute parade. Cato looks beautiful, his chiseled muscles look even larger and stronger next to my petite frame. I look like a young girl, a child. One who is a killing machine, but still a child. I notice that as we are riding on our chariot Cato periodically glances in my direction, smiling softly at me. My stomach twists and turns in ways that shouldn't be natural as I watch Cato, so strong and elegant, cutting up dummies with swords in the background of my knife throwing video. A lump builds in my throat as I watch him. _I don't get to be sad. I don't deserve to miss him. It's my fault he's gone._

I am so deep in thought, desperately trying to prove my innocence to my brain, that I don't even notice myself on the platform surrounding the cornucopia. Cato to my left side. He's looking at me again. _Am I this oblivious? _I can't help but wonder.

The timer is at 8 when I see myself bouncing, smirking in excitement. _I was that excited to have these 23 other kids be killed? _I feel something I haven't felt since I killed my father. Guilt. I almost didn't recognize the feeling, but I was disgusted with myself.

Finally the gong sounds and I am watching myself run at a speed I didn't know I had in me to the cornucopia. Since I know I was being boring at this point they show short clips are Cato, Marvel, and Glimmer killing already. It shows Cato the most, and I knew it was on purpose. I see him with his sword as he forces it into the 9 boy's chest. A few splatters of blood appear on his face and he is breathing heavily. He is, well was, so strong and brave. I miss him. I watch him run his fingers tightly up the blade to slick the blood onto his fingers and then wipe it on his shirt. I have never seen him look hotter. Then he turns and looks again at me, fiddling with some knives, and sitting there, watching this all again, I know that I truly love this boy.

The shot soon sinks back to me. It is showing me watching the chaos. And then something worse then I could ever imagine happened, something I would never forgive my body for doing. I see myself laughing. In the middle of the battlefield, snickering, watching. I hate myself. I don't even remember doing it, but there it is, plain as day. I bite my bottom lip to force the tears to stay into my eyes, to not cross the barrier of my eyelids.

I am caught in "Cato Land" when a shout of my name brings me back into reality. I look at the scream and watch as I run over to Glimmer, nod and then throw my knife into that boys back. I am shocked when every single person in Caesar's audience is cheering. For me. Because I just killed that boy.

It shows me glaring at Katniss as she gets away and then me pulling the knife out of the boys back and cleaning it. More cheers.

I forget the video is playing as I fall deep into thought about Cato. His image playing in my head. Not the images I saw here on the screen. But the real thing. The way his eyes lit up when he laughed, the ways his strong arms held me tight and made me feel safer that I had ever felt in my whole life. When he cut off Thresh's head to save me. When he kissed me. I would give everything to go back in the arena, anything to be back with Cato, but it's my fault he is gone.

All of a sudden I look up at he screen, it already showed half of the games and is now right before Cato kisses me. I am embarrassed that all of Panem saw that… twice.

I am now giggling on the screen when I watch Cato grab me and kiss me. And he means it, I can tell. All of a sudden I realize that my cheeks are soaked, that I have been crying, for a while now. I wipe my eyes with the back of my hand hoping no one would have noticed, I know they did I just wanted to make myself feel better.

Wiping my eyes didn't help, I'm crying even more than before. I know everyone can tell. I am unsuccessfully trying to wipe away the tears, replaying that kiss over and over in my head when I suddenly hear a voice in the back of my head. I recognize the voice. It's Cato's. "Clove, don't worry about me. This is your time to shine. You did it. You've won." My imaginary Cato voice tells me. And it helps. I don't know why, but it does.

The video finishes with me stabbing Cato in the stomach. I notice something I didn't when it was actually happening, Cato was trying to say "I love you" and I didn't even notice. Even after he knew he was going to die, that I was going to kill him, he still loved me. And, wherever he is, he probably still does.

The rest of the interview with Caesar goes very well. He doesn't ask me any questions about Cato, luckily, but he does ask me how many people I killed in the games. I took me a while to do the math but I finally came up with the answer: 4. I only killed 4. It feels like so many more. But 4.

I have to say I am happy. But that's the Clover in me talking. If Clove was in my head right now she'd be thinking that I should have killed them all. I think killing Cao may have kicked the Clove out of me. For the first time in a long time the pressure has been lifted off of my shoulders, I have done what I have been preparing to do my whole life. And I did it even earlier than I was supposed to. I'm done now. I can go back to being me. I don't have to be this vicious person anymore. I have no reason to be. I can finally just be Clover.

With that Caesar stands up, I do as well,

"Thank you for joining us for that exciting recap," Caesar begins, "And congratulations, Clove." He grips my hand in a shake and I interrupt by saying words I never thought would come out of my mouth,

"Please, call me Clover." I say. Caesar responds with a slight nod of his head and I walk of stage and straight onto the train.


	24. Chapter 24

I slept the whole way back to district 2. Randy wakes me up when we had pulled into the station. I run to the window and wave to everyone cheering at me. I go outside and they all cheer loudly, because they have to. I wave for a while and skim the crowd. I have no idea where Cole is. Finally I am permitted to go back to my house to pack up my things to move into Victor's Village.

I pull the key out from under the mat, the custom hiding spot and unlock the door. I walk into the empty foyer, dead silence.

"Cole?" I shout. It is so quiet that I can hear my breaths echoing off of the walls. No response. I walk into the kitchen and on the doorframe I see a bloody handprint. _Oh god._ I think. I walk into the kitchen, more blood. My breaths are short and crisp right now and the only sound in the entire house. I walk into the dining room and I see Cole in one on the chairs sitting, covered in his own blood, and then I see his head across the room.

"Oh god. Cole? Cole! COLE!" I am screaming now and crying. What am I supposed to do. And then I hear creaking footsteps coming down the stairs. I have never been more scared in my life. Not even when I was in the arena. I hide behind one of the counters, one that I know is just big enough to hide me from view.

It would have worked if only the attacker didn't know me so well. If only he didn't know exactly where I'd be. It would have worked if the attacker had not been my father. Yes, my father. The one that I had killed.

"Dad? But…. How?" I ask, stumbling over my words in pure confusion.

"You have _got _to be more careful when you leave a man for dead, Clover." He says, snickering at me, "Oh," His face lights up, "And congratulations." He says with a perky tone before he lunges his hidden dagger into my chest.


	25. Chapter 25

I don't remember anything after that. All I remember is pain, and seeing a white light. What feels like a few hours later I wake up on a really soft bed with Rue, the girl with the fox face, and the girl from 3 standing over me. Rue is brushing my hair back softly trying to soothe me, Foxface is rubbing a damp towel around my forehead and cheeks, and the girl from three is drawing a bath for me.

"What in the-" I stop what I am saying and sit up abruptly. I pull my shirt down to right under my right collar bone searching for knife wound, but all I find is skin, fresh skin.

"Oh, I get it." I start, trying to figure out what the hell is going on, "I'm dreaming." I finish and look at them. As if done before and well practiced, they all shake their heads in unison. I look at them, exasperation on my face and confusion in my head.

Rue walks over to be and jumps up onto my bed. She holds my right hand in both of hers that are substantially smaller as she searches for what to say.

"This is heaven," she starts, already making no sense to me, "But not regular heaven, well, I guess regular heaven, but we have our own special place just for us-"

"-us?" I ask, interrupting her.

"The tributes of the 74th Hunger Games. Every year has their own place, and this is ours," She says, gesturing around her, "Well part of it at least. We each have our own bedroom. This is mine and yours is still being built." She finishes and looks at me with a sweet smile that could make anyone melt. They are all smiling. At me.

"You guys aren't mad at all?" I ask, vey confused.

"At you?" the girl from 3 asks, "Its so much better up here, we have all of the food we could ever need, no one tries to hurt us, ever. My name is Rebekah by the way." She finishes and grins at me.

"People never want to be in the games," Rue starts, "But they certainly would if they knew what lies ahead for them after they die in it. Everything we could ever need is here. And no we aren't mad at you or Cato or marvel or-"

"-Cato's here?" I interrupt her, overwhelmed by my excitement to see him.

Rue giggles softly and I can't help but smile at the sound of her laugh. "Yes he is," I feel a smile creep onto my face, "and he is not mad at you either." She finishes a grin of sincere happiness for me wipes across her face. She is so hauntingly beautiful. I can't believe that I let Marvel kill her.

I run over to her and hug her, her little body light and feathery in my hands. "I'm so sorry." I whisper in her ear. She pulls back and smiles and I know I'm forgiven.

"All of you, I am so sorry." I say and look at all of them.

I am surprised by their sincerity when they say that they forgive me.

"Now," Rebekah begins, "Go find Cato before your head pops off." She is giggling. They all are. They are all happy. It feels like magic. I run over and give her a quick hug before I am racing out the door.


	26. Chapter 26

"Cato? Cato!" I am screaming for him. I have no clue where he could be. I have no clue where I am. All I know is that I have to find Cato. I am still screaming his name as I turn a corner, and there he is. He is dressed in all white, his hair slicked back, his skin soft and smooth, and his eyes piercing blue.

He runs over to me and we just stare at each other. I stare up at his beautiful face and chiseled jaw, and he stares down at whatever is going on with my face right now. I don't want to know what it is that he is seeing, just the fact that he is really looking at me is enough.

I reach over and grab him into a hug, feeling him, something I never thought I would do again. I pull back a bit and raise my head up to look at him. I am surprised to see that he was already looking at me. I smile at him, and my smile is reflected back to me in his face.

The one word I never thought I would use to describe my reuniting with Cato is exactly what it was: awkward. It was really awkward. We just stood there and looked at each other giggling. Cato leans down towards me but stops, he positions his head in different ways as if not sure if he should kiss me or not.

I guess he knew he should have because after he moved around a couple of times I wrapped my hands around the back of his neck and kissed him softly. He pulled back slowly, leaving me wanting more, just as he had the first time he kissed me.

I didn't know what he was doing as he lowered his face towards mine, but not to my lips, to my jaw. He kissed his way to my ear and stopped. I didn't want him to stop. _STOP STOPPING _I kept thinking. His breath was warm and comforting on my neck as he whispered, "Welcome home Clover." And he pulled back again.

While I had the chance I started to say what I never thought I would get to say to him.

"Cato, in the arena I-" I began.

"Clove." Cato sternly said, trying to interrupt me, but I needed to say this, so I kept going.

"I've never bee-"

"Clove." He said sternly again.

"N able to forgi-" I was interrupted again, but not by my name, but his lips pressing against mine so forceful, so passionate. I forgot that I was trying to say something and I let my mind and body get wrapped up in the kiss.

All of a sudden Cato pushes me against the wall, his hands holding the sides of my face, I never want him to stop kissing me. Cato twists his hands into my hair and on the back of my neck. His hands are so strong. I have my hands wrapped around his biceps, he's so strong, so much more than he was the last time I saw him. When I killed him.

Then I remembered that I betrayed this boy, that I killed him. And then I pulled back. My heart nearly stopped when our lips broke apart. Cato wasn't ready to stop. He pulled me back in by waist and kissed me again. Electric currents shot through my veins as his lips met mine. His hair was long. So much longer than it was before. I twist my hands through it and pull him towards me. Then I remember what I have to say, so I pull back again.

Cato looks at me for a moment, confusion in his eyes.

"Cato," I start as he begins to kiss my cheek and all over my face while I talk, "I can't forgive myself, I need to tell you," He lips move to the side of my face, "I need you to know that," He lightly bit my ear and my heart stopped, "Cato I have to," his lips start to move down my neck and I know that my attempts are futile. "You aren't gonna stop are you?" I ask looking at him.

Cato moves in closer to me, his lips barely brushing mine, "Not even for a second." He says, with a touch so gentle, so sweet that it takes all the power I have to pull away.

I walk around him and stand in the middle of the hall.

Cato turns around to face me. He takes both of my hands in his, "Clove, I never thought that I would see you again, that I would," He looks deep in my eyes and blushes, "…Kiss you again, but I can. Why waste it?" He says, his eyes lighting up as he chuckles slightly.

"You are impossible." I say to him.

"Is that so?" he asks as he pulls me in again. He kisses me softly on the cheek, "We have all the time in the world to talk." Cato says, his lips pushed almost onto mine.

"We have right now." I say, looking at him lovingly. He pulls me back in and we kiss as I fumble with the buttons on his shirt. As the last button opens I truly see his body for the first time. I didn't know if it was because we were in heaven, but Cato could not have been more beautiful.

Cato lifts me up into the air and I wrap my legs around his waist. He carries me back over to the wall and pushes me onto it. I wrap my arms around his neck, feeling his muscles flex with every move he makes. I am so in love that I can't see, or hear, or smell. All that I can notice is the way Cato's lips feel on mine. The way his touch is so gentle and fiery at the same time. Soon I find myself with my hands pressed against Cato's bare chest and his hands tangled in the mess of my dark hair.

I feel lost completely in Cato. He was all that I can see. I cup my hands around his face when someone brings me back into reality.

"Oh my gosh, oh gosh, I am so sorry." Cato moves himself back and puts me back down, face flushed. I can feel that my own cheeks are tomato red. The girl from 7 had walked in on us. This was beyond awkward. "Sorry, Cato, hi Clove." She said to us, her face as red as ours. "So sorry." She says again.

"It's fine Willow," Cato starts, "What's up?" he asks.

"It's time for dinner." She says. "Sorry," she says again as she disappears around the corner.

Cato and I look at each other.

"We are in a hall." Cato says to me.

I nod. "Let's go to dinner, I'm starving." I say and start to walk away.

"Not yet." Cato says as he grabs my hand and pulls me back into him. I let my body melt into his hands on the small of my back that press me up against him. He kisses me again, more gentle than before. He pulls back and I find his lips at my ear again.

"I love you." He whispers in my ear. I can't help it, I push him up against the wall and kiss him, so fiery and hungry. I slide my hands under his open shirt and wrap them around his bare back. I feel his muscles flexing. He puts his hands on my waist, firm and sure and I kiss him even more.

Cato pulls back again, "We," he kisses me again, "Don't need," and again, "To go," he kisses me, "To dinner." He kisses me again and I smile. I begin to talk and Cato moves his lips from mine and to my neck.

"I don't know," I begin, "I'm kind of hungry." I giggle. Cato brings his lips back to mine. My stomach grumbles. I softly bite Cato's bottom lip and pull back. His face covered in desperation for more.

"Come on, let's go eat." I say, smiling at him. I quickly peck him on the lips and grab his hand and he leads the way to the dining room.


	27. Chapter 27

"I don't understand," I start, "Why don't they hate me?" I finish. We had just had dinner. Everyone was so nice to me. Even the ones I killed. Katniss hugged me. Me. I killed her. I didn't know what was going on.

"They're happy, Clove. They have it so much better than they did in Panem. And you are the reason why. You may have killed them, but dying was the best thing that ever happened to them." Cato tells me as we walk to my room.

"It still doesn't make sense. Why aren't you mad at me?" I ask. We reached the door and I lean against it, facing him.

"Clove, all I wanted was for you to win. For you to be happy. I wanted us to be together but I knew that we couldn't. And now, against all odds, we are. And there is nothing that can make me mad about that. Everything worked out, Clove. I can't be mad." He finishes and kisses me on the forehead. I smile up at him and he smiles down at me.

"I love you," I tell him, "would you like to come in?" I ask him.

I go up on my toes to kiss him and open the door to my room and walk in, Cato following closely behind me, his fingers entwined in mine.

I walk over to him and grab the collar of his shirt.

"Clove, you need to get your rest." He tells me.

"Right," I kiss him, "now?" I kiss him again.

"Yes." He says and lifts my face to his with my chin.

"Fine." I say and kiss him. I bite his lip again just to show him what he is missing. I walk over and climb into my bed of fluffy white goodness. I sit up and look at him, he looks back at me. I raise one eyebrow in question and he rolls his eyes and chuckles and comes over and slides in between the covers next to me.

I look at his face. I see a very straight cut above his eyebrow. I take it in my hand and rub it with my thumb.

"What happened?" I ask him.

Cato sighs. "It's from one of Katniss' arrows." He says.

"What?" I say in disbelief, "From the games?" I am shocked.

Cato only nods. But I am furious.

"But they said that all of our scars were gone when we came here." I explain.

"Our scars are never gone, Clove. We only choose to hide them." Cato tells me.

I look down at Cato's chest. There is no sign of a cut or even a bruise. "Is that why you don't have a scar?" I say, face hot with fear.

"Clove I…" Cato starts.

"Don't hide from me." I say as I rub his eyebrow again.

Cato sits next to me. Both of our eyes are fixed on his bare chest. Slowly, a mark begins to form. And then it gets bigger and it starts growing and growing. Cato's eyes are fixed on my eyes which are fixed on his scar.

Cato's jaw clenches each time the scar grows. I place my hand over it, to hide it. But then the scar becomes bigger than my hand and I cannot possibly cover it. My eyes become blurry with tears. My breathing becomes fast and the room begins to shrink around me.

I begin to cry and I feel childish. Cato is the one with the huge ass scar and I am bawling my eyes out.

"Clove," Cato starts. He pulls his arms around me and I feel better. My breaths become sharp and heavy as I stare at the scar. I lean down and kiss his scar and Cato laughs.

"If you didn't win, Clove, I would have." He starts and I feel even more horrible, "And if I won, we wouldn't be here. I would have never been able to kill you, Clove. Never." He finishes and looks into my teary eyes.

I feel a tear begin to fall down my cheek and Cato wipes it away with his thumb.

"I am so glad everything happened just the way it did. But I was heartbroken when you died, Clove." He says.

"I was too." I begin, "But as soon as I found out that I would see you again, I wasn't afraid anymore." I told him, smiling.

"I don't want you to ever be afraid with me, Clove, never." Cato says to me as he kisses me gently on the forehead.

I smile and yawn and then I realize how tired I am. I lay down in the bed and Cato wraps me in his arms.

That night I fall asleep using Cato's chest as a pillow as he stokes my hair.

The next morning I wake up far on the other side of the bed from Cato. I turn over and see that he is looking at me.

"Were you watching me?" I ask him, smirking.

"I just can't believe you're here." He says as he leans over to kiss me. I stop him before he does however.

"Well believe it." I say and kiss him softly. "Let's go get breakfast." I say sitting up. I look down at Cato because he isn't getting up.

"Right now?" he asks me, a devilish grin on his face.

"Yes, right now." I say looking at him sternly.

"How about now-ish." He says pulling me back down in bed on top of him.

I giggle as I kiss him for a few minutes, giggling, and then pull back. I look at my wrist and pretend to look at an imaginary watch.

"Well would you look at that." I say, taking a quick glance at him, "Its ish o'clock." I say smiling at him.

Cato rolls his eyes at me and kisses me softly for only a second before we both stand up and walk out the door.

Breakfast was the first time I saw all of the tributes. Truly saw them. They weren't trying to kill each other, they were just being themselves, all together. Honestly, it was weird. I never thought I would see this.

Soon I see Glimmer and Marvel walk in together and my heart stops. Glimmer. She was more of a friend to me in the games then anyone could have ever been anywhere. I didn't realize how much I missed her until I found myself running towards her.

I guess she missed me too, because when I looked up I saw her running towards me too. The room felt as if it was growing, stretching Glimmer and I apart the closer we got to each other. Then I find myself flinging my arms around her neck and hugging her.

"I missed you so much." She said to me.

"I missed you too." I said back, smiling. I wrap her in a hug again before everyone sits down to eat.

Breakfast was amazing. I never knew how bright and wonderful all of these kids were. Brooke, the girl from 4, had made me a necklace out of weaved twine. It was beautiful. I thanked her and put it around my neck. I loved it.

I met every single tribute. I mean, really _met _them. I never knew all they had to offer. They all should have made it out of the arena.

As we eat, Kayla, the girl fro 8, was singing a beautiful tune. I had heard it before, but I didn't know when.

"What is that?" I ask her.

"Oh, it's called the valley song." She says, "Katniss taught it to me." She glances over at Katniss who is watching little Rue.

Then I remember where I heard the song before. When they played the video after I got out of the arena they showed the scene where Marvel killed Rue. It was a tearjerker for the audience. I remember that the valley song was what Katniss sang to Rue as her last request. I bite my lip to keep myself from crying.

"Oh," I start, "its pretty." My voice cracks ever so slightly, but no one seems to notice.

I spend the rest of the day with my new friends. I found four other 16 year old girls and we all seemed to bond quickly. So Glimmer, Katniss, Willow, Embry, and myself all went into Katniss' room to talk.

I watch Katniss and listen to her and suddenly I hate myself for killing her. This girl is so sweet and she had a family back home and I took that all away from her.

"Did you guys hear about Emma (6) and Dean (9)?" Willow asks, "she told me they were an item now."

"What about you and Cato?" Katniss asks, turning to face me. "He was so excited that you won. He thought he would never see you again. You guys are so adorable." She finishes, smiling at me. I can't help but let my whole face be taken over by a smile.

"How about the star-crossed lovers of district 12?" I ask her. She just rolls her eyes at me, but I see her cheeks flushing. I smile in return, I am so glad that they are happy.

We didn't even realize how late it was until Peeta walks into the room, clearly not expecting 5 girls to be in there.

We all stare blankly at Peeta who walks nonchalantly in through the door with no shirt on. He looks up at all of us and his face turns tomato red.

"oh!" he says, "I didn't think there would be anyone in here." He nervously looks around at all of our faces.

"yeah," Embry starts, "we were just leaving." She finishes and we all nervously agree. I wink at Katniss before we all hustle out the door.


	28. Chapter 28

I wake up a few hours later to find Cato wrapped around me, his face buried in my hair. I get out of bed and retrieve his shirt from the bedpost and button it on myself. It was big. It almost covered me like a dress.

I climb back onto the bed and kiss Cato's abs, I work my way up from his abs, to his chest, to his neck, and then his lips. As I gently kiss his lips his eyes flutter open.

"You were awake that whole time, weren't you?" I say looking at him angrily.

"Yup." He says to me, his beautiful smile stretched across his face.

"You little…" I start in pretend anger and smack him in the face with a pillow.

"Oh, now you're dead." He says and starts to run out of bed. I scream and try to run away but he grabs me by the waist, spins me towards him, and lifts me into the air. I wrap my legs around him and kiss him. He runs me back over to the bed and we fall down onto its surface.

He is tickling me. He is kneeling above me tickling me and I am laughing so hard. I love this boy.

"Ah! Stop it!" I manage to say in between fits of laughter. There is only one way to stop him so I grab the back of his head and pull him towards me and kiss him softly and then pull back.

Suddenly his lips press onto mine with such force that it takes me aback. In the back of my mind I see Thresh standing over me, Katniss running away. Cato touches my chest and my mind flutters back into reality. I place my hand over Cato's heart.

"It still beats." I say.

"Yeah," Cato starts, "Because this is life now."

"Our life in Panem wasn't this good," I say, giggling.

"That's because we are together now," Cato tells me, "And no one can hurt you ever again."

Cato leans back down and kisses me. It is a peck, but he doesn't pull back. His lips are just rested, pressed onto mine so gently that it feels like a feather has been placed on my lips. He bites my bottom lip gently and pulls back. He looks straight into my eyes and I fear that he can see my thoughts.

"I love you." He says to me, his beautiful smile there again.

"I love you too." I say and lean up and kiss him. "Lets go get breakfast!" I say with such excitement that makes him giggle. "You might want to put a shirt on." I say to him as I start walking towards the door.

"You're wearing my shirt. " he says looking at me with his arms crossed.

"Oh yeah…" I realize this but don't want to take his shirt off, "Nah, you don't need a shirt." I say shaking my head. He laughs and opens the door for me. We walk to breakfast, him in his jeans and me in his oversized shirt.


	29. Chapter 29

I make my way over to my room but wait outside the door for just a few moments. I know Cato will be in there and I need a little time to think.

I can't believe that I played the leading role in the force that took these magnificent girls' lives away. I feel so ashamed. Finally I walk in the door and hear that shower running.

I hop into bed and don't even realize that I drifted off to sleep.

I spent the first half of the night tossing and turning. I kept replaying moments in the game in my head. Mostly the moments of me killing Cato. All of a sudden I jerk awake and meet Cato's concerned eyes fixed on me.

"Are you okay" He asks, his hand rubbing my back.

"Yeah, just a nightmare." I start, "What time is it?"

"eight thirty." He tells me.

"What time is breakfast?" I ask him, never wanting to get up.

"Nine fifteen." He says

"Oh really? Looks like we have some time to kill." I smirk at him.

"Stop it." He starts shaking his head with a smile. My brows furrow in confusion. "Stop making me want you." He finishes.

"You don't want to want me?" I ask him, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"I don't want you, Clove," he says, his gaze never leaving mine, "I need you." He says and kisses me gently for only a moment and then he pulls back.

I am angry, _that's all I get? _I ask myself, but next thing I know Cato has pulled my body onto his own and is kissing me with so much passion that I could have melted. I kneel over his chest, my legs on either side of his abdomen with my hands on his shoulders. _When did he take his shirt off_? I didn't know and I didn't care.

His hands are on the small of my back as he grabs the hem of my shirt and pulls it over my head. Our lips break apart only to let the fabric slip between them. His hands are warm and strong on my bare back and I liked it. I feel so thin and weak compared to Cato. I am so bony and small and he is beautiful.

Cato forces me up, he sat on the bed. I was in his lap, my legs wrapped around him. Cato starts to kiss my neck and I lightly bite his ear. Cato continues to kiss my neck and I watch as his jaw clenches when he moves. I watch his abs flex when he breathes.

Cato pulls back and presses his forehead to mine. We sit there, staring into each others eyes. His are ice blue while mine are just muddy brown. He smiles at me and I begin to giggle.

"Stunning" Cato whispers under his breath.

"What?" I ask. I couldn't tell what he said.

"You are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen." Cato says.

I kiss Cato again and wrap my arms around his neck. I lean back and pull him down on top of me and I wrap my legs around his waist. I run my finger down his back, feeling every bone of his spine. He has one of his hands in mine and the other one is stroking my hair. He squeezes my hand and pulls his lips just slightly away from mine.

"I love you." He whispers and pulls his face back even more. I lift my head back up to meet his lips. He wraps my hair around his hands and something changes. It feels as though it would have been impossible for him to want me more. His muscles clench and his breathing becomes sharp. My hands are on his back and I feel little beads of sweat forming.

Cato breaks his lips away from mine and I turn my head to the right on the pillow under me. He kisses me cheek and neck and then he stops. I turn back and find his eyes searching within mine again. He looks at every part of my face, searching for what I might do. He looks into my eyes and into my soul. I smile up at him and he looks calm as he grins back.

"I love you too." I say to him. I lift up my chin so my lips were pressed to his again. Cato grips my chin lightly in his hand and guides my head back down onto the pillow.

His lips break apart from mine suddenly as he starts to kiss around my lips. He kisses his way down my right jaw, onto my neck. Then he is at my belly button, he continues going down until he reaches right at the waistband of my jeans. He pulls back and grabs the button in his two hands, but before he does anything, he looks up at me. He is breathing heavy, sweat beading on his forehead.

"Are you sure?" He asks me, looking deep into my eyes. I nod in response.

He slides my jeans down, off of my legs and then I jump onto him and pin him down again. He has his hands on my bare thighs and my hands are on the bed next to his head. And then… well…


	30. Chapter 30

I wake up a few hours later to find Cato wrapped around me, his face buried in my hair. I get out of bed and retrieve his shirt from the bedpost and button it on myself. It was big. It almost covered me like a dress.

I climb back onto the bed and kiss Cato's abs, I work my way up from his abs, to his chest, to his neck, and then his lips. As I gently kiss his lips his eyes flutter open.

"You were awake that whole time, weren't you?" I say looking at him angrily.

"Yup." He says to me, his beautiful smile stretched across his face.

"You little…" I start in pretend anger and smack him in the face with a pillow.

"Oh, now you're dead." He says and starts to run out of bed. I scream and try to run away but he grabs me by the waist, spins me towards him, and lifts me into the air. I wrap my legs around him and kiss him. He runs me back over to the bed and we fall down onto its surface.

He is tickling me. He is kneeling above me tickling me and I am laughing so hard. I love this boy.

"Ah! Stop it!" I manage to say in between fits of laughter. There is only one way to stop him so I grab the back of his head and pull him towards me and kiss him softly and then pull back.

Suddenly his lips press onto mine with such force that it takes me aback. In the back of my mind I see Thresh standing over me, Katniss running away. Cato touches my chest and my mind flutters back into reality. I place my hand over Cato's heart.

"It still beats." I say.

"Yeah," Cato starts, "Because this is life now."

"Our life in Panem wasn't this good," I say, giggling.

"That's because we are together now," Cato tells me, "And no one can hurt you ever again."

Cato leans back down and kisses me. It is a peck, but he doesn't pull back. His lips are just rested, pressed onto mine so gently that it feels like a feather has been placed on my lips. He bites my bottom lip gently and pulls back. He looks straight into my eyes and I fear that he can see my thoughts.

"I love you." He says to me, his beautiful smile there again.

"I love you too." I say and lean up and kiss him. "Lets go get breakfast!" I say with such excitement that makes him giggle. "You might want to put a shirt on." I say to him as I start walking towards the door.

"You're wearing my shirt. " he says looking at me with his arms crossed.

"Oh yeah…" I realize this but don't want to take his shirt off, "Nah, you don't need a shirt." I say shaking my head. He laughs and opens the door for me. We walk to breakfast, him in his jeans and me in his oversized shirt.


	31. Chapter 31

After breakfast Cato and I come back to my room. I stand in the middle of the room and look at Cato. He is slowly walking towards me, looking at me longingly. He looks at me in amazement.

"What?" I ask him with a slight snicker.

Cato grabs my face in one of his hands and strokes my cheek with his thumb. He looks into my eyes so deep I fear that he can see into my soul. He takes a deep breath before he answers me.

"Its just that," he begins, "I don't want this fantasy to end." I don't know what he means, but I don't have time to ask before his lips press lightly onto mine.

Cato is so gentle as he picks me up like in the movies. Like when a prince saves the maiden. He picks me up like a princess. His lips never leaving mine for even a moment.

He places me onto the bed lightly and I pull him down onto me. He is so gentle and soft. He takes my left hand in his and my right is rested on the small of his back.

He pulls back and looks at me for a second. He brushes away the stray hair that has wandered onto my face. He looks at me in wonder and amazement.

I giggle as he leans down once more and gives me one long gentle kiss. He rubs my cheek with his thumb.

"I never want this to end," he starts, "but you need to wake up now."


End file.
